Building Skills in an Imperfect World
One of the best parts about having my stories published is getting to meet my readers. I don't think I'll ever get used to the feeling of meeting someone face to face and having them tell me they enjoyed my books.
And yes, you'll see that I work very hard to get to several conventions a year specifically to meet readers, current and potentially new.
But I also wanted to take the time out to get out there for other events. Tomorrow, I'll be at Tri State Martial Arts Academy for a Women's Self Defense Workshop. I believe these seminars and workshops teach important skills for any person, young or old, man or woman.
Yes, it'd be wonderful if we, as a society, could teach our members to never consider attacking one another. But I personally can't see myself raging at someone else's parents or family because they didn't teach that person not to be a rapist or a serial killer. Rather than blaming the world for being unfair, I choose to do my best to prepare myself and not be a victim in the first place, maybe even help someone else if the circumstances require.
Realistically, I encourage people to take control of their own lives and build the skills to survive in an imperfect world.
That doesn't mean turning into a fighter. But in terms of self-defense, it does mean learning all you can about being aware of your surroundings and being able to assess a potential threat. It means learning how best to get yourself out of a potentially dangerous situation as quickly as possible. Those skills can help you avoid ever having a confrontation at all.
Mackenzie of Heart's Sentinel survived a vicious attack by a crazed stalker. She turned to the River Gap Pride to learn how to use her new, unasked for, cougar abilities. She found her strength and her personal power again.
At the Free Women's Self Defense Workshop tomorrow at Tri-State Martial Arts Academy, I'll be giving away a signed print copy of Heart's sentinel to one attendee. I'll also be giving out fun swag to everyone. For people in the NJ/PA area, I hope you'll join us. 
